So Dad calls me up today around 5PM, Walla Walla time, and says he has a modest proposal:
Why not winter at home in Alexandria, Virginia?
Right now, with almost no money to my name, the thought is tempting. My cousin Marie, fresh from the recent hurricane that passed over Houston (she lives in Conroe, TX), also thinks I should come home. Her own reasoning was somewhat sentimental in nature: "Your mom misses you." But she and Dad both hit on the practical aspects of such a move: staying at home would mean not paying rent, and the knee would have a chance to keep healing.
There would be other advantages to wintering in Alexandria:
1. I confess to missing my family, too. It'd be nice to see them, especially now that my brother Sean has moved back into Virginia. Same with friends: my buddy Mike lives a bit south of Alexandria; my buddy Dave lives in Maryland.
2. I'd be able to help the folks with their current renovation project. Dad says he could use another hand.
3. If I were to take Alan's recommendation for work, I'd be able to work from a hard-wired connection (in fact, the folks are upgrading to Verizon FIOS)-- no money spent on commuting, and I'd be able to leap to Dad's aid whenever he needed it.
4. No money spent on food: I could regress to my plump childhood and just raid the fridge.
5. I could hit the Fort Belvoir gym with Dad after raiding the fridge; Dad's retired military, and he's signed me in before.
6. Dad could postpone the expensive effort of having to come out to Walla Walla right now, right in the middle of his renovation project.
There are a few disadvantages, though. Well, two, really:
1. By leaving Walla Walla to winter in Alexandria now, I'd be losing a month of walking. Think about it: if I leave now, the 260-some miles ahead of me will remain unwalked. I'd also be wintering for five months (October through February) instead of the original four (November through February, and possibly part of March).
Worst of all:
2. I'd feel as though I were cheating. Given the many promises I've already broken over the course of this walk-- No rides unless seriously injured foremost among them-- perhaps this shouldn't matter. Trans-America walker Steve Vaught went home several times. He also accepted occasional rides. George Martin invested $150,000 in his walk and did it with a huge team helping him out. What could possibly be so shameful about flying home and staying put a few months? After all, I've spent nearly a month in Walla Walla.
But I still can't shake the feeling that I'd be cheating. I don't know why. It's not rational, and I admit it has a lot to do with pride... but pride in what? There's nothing stopping me from taking the walk up from Walla Walla once I'm done wintering, i.e., starting right where I left off. Hell, I could even start right at the Comfort Inn-- my first stop in the city.
The advantages of going home seem, from a distance, to far outweigh the disadvantages. A healthier Kevin might tackle the 260 miles from Walla Walla to Boise with greater ease; five months is plenty of time to work on overall fitness, to walk along the George Washington Parkway bike trail until it's too snowy to do so, to train at the Fort Belvoir gym.
And yet... and yet...
_
Marathon
11 years ago
12 comments:
I don't know if another voice is going to change things here, because ultimately this is a choice that only you can make, but I say go for it. There is no shame in picking up where you left off come spring, and if the only thing holding you back is pride... well, then, I think you already know what decision you need to make. I know it's easy to say that from where I'm sitting, but there you have it.
By now you must have realized what a massive undertaking this walk is. You owe it to yourself to give yourself every advantage, because you're going to need every single one of them before this is over.
Kevin,
it would also give you more time to shore up "hosts" for your couch surfing experiences....I agree with charles...
Wintering at home makes all kinds of sense to me--but I encourage you to do some advance planning, on 2 counts. One, winter out there in the desert is pretty severe. And it won't be over at the end of February. Which suggests a compromise to me--make the walk to Boise now in the fall, before it gets too cold, then go home to Virginia for the rest of the winter.
Also, do give serious thought to where you intend to cross the Rockies. Get some topo maps and check out the terrain. Or maybe the google maps are good enough. In any case--my own hazy recollection of the various routes is that some involve a lot steeper mountains, and more of them, than others. I have a vague impression that 80 would be better than 70. In any case, crossing the mountains in the spring, you'll need to be prepared for cold, especially at night.
Just some thoughts. Definitely, the decision is yours--no arm twisting here. Sleep on it--you'll make the right decision for yourself in the end.
What Charles said.
And,...everytime you use the word "winter" as a verb I picture you as a Québécois Snowbird on a beach in Florida in a speedo. So, like, thanks for that.
You're a sensible fella, Kevin. Surely you're not going to let something like pride stop you from doing something that makes perfect sense. What's the difference if you're stopping to sport your speedo in Boise or if you get yourself back home to pause before resuming back in Walla Walla or Boise?
Maybe someone will stand up and point at you shouting "cheater" and give you a good reason why it's a bad idea to spend the winter back home. That's not going to be me, though.
Whatever you decide, I've got your back. Se promener - in whatever direction you choose.
Hi, Kevin. It seems my opinion is not shared by the others as I believe you should continue. Here is why: You are on a hero's journey. The hardship of the journey will define and shape you as much as the ease of the journey. It is a right of spiritual passage that you have devised for yourself with, no doubt, the assistance of God. In my opinion, you would deprive yourself of the bounties inherent in such a journey by taking a siesta in the warmth and comfort of your parents home. Hardship is instructive to the human soul and often reaps insights we could not previously imagine. I embarked on a journey similar to yours when I was 19, except my destination was Arctic Alaska via Canada from Detroit, my home city. I suffered a lot of hardship, including the loss of all my baggage, broken wrists (fell on the ice -- duh!), and poverty, but I also gained great gifts like the hospitality of loving strangers, the opportunity to serve others, and countless nights of discussion on the topic of spirituality and human goodness. It was hard but I wouldn't trade that time for the world. I felt so alive! Everything was immediate and fulfilling. Even when I lost my baggage and was forced to wear lumberjack red plaid for six months that I bought in a variety store in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada with my remaining $12 USD, I was happy. So...long story short...my advice is to NOT give up. You'll face some horrible times, but you'll also meet many extraordinary people, and in the end, your reliance on God as you understand Him will grow tenfold.
Addofio,
That's pretty close to what I've been thinking about: walking to Boise and wintering in Virginia. I hesitate, though, because this brings the chase car back into the picture; with the folks in mid-renovation, it's an added financial burden for them (one I was already feeling guilty about because of the awful timing).
I'll be writing more on all this later.
Thanks, everyone.
Kevin
PS: Me in a Speedo. Man, if that image doesn't petrify you, nothing will.
I think what Britt's saying is, in somewhat more dramatic language, the same intuition as you're capturing when you say that you feel like you'd be "cheating." I'm somewhat inclined to agree with her, but I see the need to be practical, too.
As I see it, there are 2 major practical issues involved in continuing the walk:
(a)your physical condition
(b)your finances
and issue (a) can be addressed equally as well in Boise as in Alexandria. They've got physical therapists, gyms and exercise equipment in Boise too (and I encourage you to pursue a regimen of p.t. for your knees to prepare for the spring.) So I think the issue ultimately boils down to money. I'm reasonably confident that you can find some way to get some income, as long as you're in a city of any size. There are no guarantees, though, about how regular or lucrative it'll be, or what you might have to pay for rent, etc., in Boise.
So that's the issue, as I see it. And ditto re Addofio's concluding thoughts.
I say feel free to winter at home, Kevin: the leg has to heal, and home's a good place to do it (no risks).
It's a good idea.
I'm going to add my two cents. I think wintering in VA is a great idea. And I don't think it's cheating, though I TOTALLY see where you're coming from. I'm focused on projects like that, too. (Even though I've never tackled anything this huge.)
I think storing up couches to sleep on while you're healing and visiting is a great opportunity. You might also consider that you'll have a few months to gain awareness and support for your project. Think of this as a smart business move. :o)
Just my two cents...
Lots of support from the posters here, and all I think is, WIMP!
Looks like I had to be that guy.
Yeah, yeah-- you're the "cowboy up" guy.
Sigh...
Kevin
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